1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clip of synthetic resin used to fasten plates together or to attach parts to a plate, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many clips formed of synthetic resin have been proposed, and there are many examples of such clips in practical use. The present invention relates to an improved clip consisting of an assemblage of two members, one male and one female.
When clips comprised of male and female members are used, to attach plates together, for example, first the female member is inserted into a hole in the plates, and this is followed by the insertion of the male member. More specifically, a shaft portion of the male member that acts as a wedge is forced into a hole formed in the female member. When the end of the shaft clears the plates, the end of the shaft is made to expand so that the plates are held together between the expanded end and the other end. The male and female members are usually manufactured as separate parts. However, manufacturing the male and female members separately is inconvenient from the standpoint of product management as well as from the standpoint of handling. Usually, therefore, the clips are assembled to form a single product item by inserting the male shaft into the female hole.
This is a provisional assembly in which the shaft is inserted and maintained at a depth that does not cause the expansion of the female member. The male member thus provisionally engaged in the female member is the part that is usually gripped to insert the clip into the holes in the plates. In the case of a car assembly line, for example, being able to grip the male member for this purpose is an important factor in raising working efficiency.
In the case of conventional clips, however, no consideration is given to the fact that the male member is gripped for this purpose. Instead, the emphasis is merely on locking the male and female members together. This lack of consideration is also related to constraints imposed by the location of the clip. That is, when the clip is being used to attach parts to a car body, there is little space to hold the clip. In particular, when there is not enough space in the thickness direction of plates to allow the insertion of a long shaft, it is often necessary to reduce the overall length of the clips. Doing this can result in the male shaft not being long enough to use as a grip when provisionally inserted in the female member.
Japanese Utility Model Disclosures 57-4244 and 1-43532 each disclose this type of conventional clip comprised by assembling male and female members. However, in both cases the disclosures only extend to the provisional assembly of the two members, and do not touch on maintaining a sufficient male member length to enable it to be readily grasped when the clip is in the provisionally assembled state.